Business briefs: Rosyth | China | Peter Vardy

TERRY MURDEN

A GROUP objecting to plans to build a container port at Rosyth said it will respond to the deliberations of the Scottish parliament’s infrastructure and capital investment committee which meets tomorrow to discuss Babcock’s £85 million plan.

The Joint Action Group, together with Forth Ports and other objectors, say the terminal is not needed as there is already overcapacity in the container industry.

The group further questions the committee’s role in what it says has been touted as entirely a Babcock business decision and investment.

• China’s economic output has grown at its fastest pace since March this month, stoking hopes that the slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy could have ended.

Nikolaus Keis, at UniCredit, said: “Today’s figure adds to the raft of recent better-than-expected Chinese data, indicating that the growth slowdown has already run its course and industrial activity is gaining traction.”

• Car dealer Peter Vardy yesterday revved up its expansion drive by unveiling plans for a “carstore” at Hillington in Glasgow.

The company – which already has ten showrooms – plans to recruit 70 staff for its new indoor facility, which is due to open in December and will stock more than 400 cars.

Chief executive Peter Vardy said: “We have been overwhelmed at the intense interest that has been shown so far. We can’t wait for the Carstore to open for business in December. It is designed to be a destination dealership.”